People
Residents
David and Nancy Gottschalt
10118 Burton Avenue
David Franklin Gottschalt was a third-generation resident of Bratenahl where he lived all his life except for the time he served in the Merchant Marine during World War II. His father, Frank Gottschalt, was a policeman in the village for over 50 years, having been inducted into the force in 1908 by Bratenahl’s first Mayor Liberty Holden. David’s grandfather Christian Gottschalt served on Bratenahl’s City Council during its early years.
David was born on August 5, 1923, to Frank H. Gottschalt and the former Martha Decker. He was a descendant of Mayflower arrivals and Revolutionary War participants. His great-great-great grandparents were early settlers of Brooklyn. He grew up on Foster Avenue and attended the Bratenahl School. After the war he worked at National City Bank until his retirement in 1989.
David married the former Nancy Schwelgin on September 7, 1957, and they raised four children. Nancy was born on July 31, 1935, in Cleveland and grew up in Hinkley. When she married David, Nancy moved to Bratenahl where she spent the rest of her life.
David was President of the Bratenahl School Athletic Boosters as well as Scoutmaster of Troop 301 during the 1970’s. In 1990, he helped establish the Bratenahl Historical Society with Nancy and served as its first President.
David’s hobby was researching American history and the wars that his ancestors fought in from the French and Indian War in the mid-1700s through the recent War in the Persian Gulf. He studied America’s flags and he made and displayed many of his flags during public ceremonies.
Nancy was active in her community, serving during several terms on the PTA board, and she was active with the Bratenahl Schools athletic booster club. She served on the board of the Bratenahl Historical Society for many years. In later years, she drove for Meals on Wheels and was active in the Red Hat Society.
David died on September 22, 1996, at the Hospice of the Western Reserve at the age of 73. He is buried at the Ohio Western Reserve National Cemetery. Nancy died on January 12, 2022, at the age of 86.